3 Weeks Later, I Have Time To Blog

I had the baby on Dec 19th. We named her Kendra Ann. She was 5 days early. Of course, I wasn't ready because I never am. And she came early. But that's OK.

The day I went into labor I was so busy doing things that I didn't really think I was going into labor. Never mind that I'd been having minor contractions all day. The cashier at Fred Meyer said I didn't look so good, and for some reason I was on a frantic search for apples (couldn't find them at a decent price though) and I thought it was very important to buy steel wool scouring pads because they had been on my shopping list for too long and I HAD TO GET THEM OFF THE LIST (could have been a sign of the nesting instinct gone bad). Then I went home and finished working on the baby's room, and then I started reading a pregnancy book with all the urgency of cramming for finals. I decided I was in labor at about 1:30 am.

It only took about 7 hours from that time until the baby was born. It's a good thing that my mom was there because I probably would not have gone to the hospital when I was supposed to. Everything I had read made it seem like it would take hours more than it did. I didn't sleep at all that night - she was born at 8:36 am. Then I stayed awake all day. I just couldn't sleep, I guess it was a little too exciting to turn around and go to sleep.

So, how bad was labor? It's funny that I remember it was bad, but apparently there's some sort of hormone or something that happens that makes a woman forget. Sort of like anesthesia that lets you experience the pain at the moment, only to forget about it later on. I haven't exactly forgotten, but I don't really care that it hurt either.

The timing was perfect - my husband's vacation started the day before the baby was born, and he had two weeks off from work.

For the last three weeks, my days have been full of unrelenting child care. For the most part, I'm enjoying being a mom. Especially at first, it was fascinating just looking at her, taking it all in. By the end of the day, though, I've usually had enough ;-). I can only entertain myself for so many hours on end. Right now, Kendra does not provide much feedback. When I sing the Miss America song to her, she just spits up instead of appreciating how I change the lyrics.

I have no schedule anymore, but I'm trying. Lately, I have been getting out of bed at about 11:00 or noon. Then I take a couple of naps during the day. The baby wakes up 2 or 3 times a night. I don't think I should be so tired, since I have been sleeping about 14 hours a day! But I guess I'm still recovering from the pregnancy.

The "important stuff" is slowly getting done - paying the bills and dealing with medical insurance and appointments. There's not much going on these days, and for now that's a good thing. The only thing that worries me is that, somehow, I have to get my taxes done before the deadline! Oh, and I've got to resume doing everything in my life just like I did before the baby came. Or come as close as I can to it. This is cause for concern, because this is me in charge. Wish me luck.